This paper reviews the current state of the art for coronary stent materials and surface coatings, with an emphasis on new technologies that followed on from first-generation bare metal and drug-eluting stents. These developments have been driven mainly by the need to improve long term outcomes, including late stent thrombosis. Biodegradable drug-eluting coatings aim to address the long term effects of residual durable polymer after drug elution; the SYNERGY, BioMatrix, and Nobori stents are all promising devices in this category, with minimal polymer through the use of abluminal coatings. Textured stent surfaces have been used to attached drug directly, without polymer; the Yukon Choice and BioFreedom stents have some promising data in this category, while a hydroxyapatite textured surface has had less success. The use of drug-filled reservoirs looked promising initially but the NEVO device has experienced both technical and commercial set-backs. However this approach may eventually make it to market if trials with the Drug-Filled Stent prove to be successful. Non-pharmacological coatings such as silicon carbide, carbon, and titanium-nitride-oxide are also proving to have potential to provide better performance than BMS, without some of the longer term issues associated with DES. In terms of biological coatings, the Genous stent which promotes attachment of endothelial progenitor cells has made good progress while gene-eluting stents still have some practical challenges to overcome. Perhaps the most advancement has been in the field of biodegradable stents. The BVS PLLA device is now seeing increasing clinical use in many complex indications while magnesium stents continue to make steady advancements.

Dengue fever is one of the most rapidly spreading arthropod-borne diseases. Diurnal vectorial properties of Aedes albopictus contribute to the dispersion of the dengue viruses. Frequent and injudicious use of synthetic insecticides led to the evolution of resistant phenotypes in Ae. albopictus which necessitates the search for an alternative of current control strategies. Developing a long-lasting and environmentally safe tactic based on knowledge of ecology and population dynamics of Ae. albopictus is critical. Therefore, with a view towards biological control and ecology, the effect of entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) Beauveria bassiana on filial and first filial generations of Ae. albopictus were studied. Investigations showed 87.5% adulticidal activity leading to altered fecundity and adult longevity in a filial generation. The lethal (LC50) and sublethal (LC20) concentrations of B. bassiana were applied to filial generation (F0) to study demographic parameters in the first filial generation (F1). Results showed reduced net reproductive rates (Ro) intrinsic rate of increase (r), and mean generation time (T) compared to uninfected controls. Prolonged larval and pupal duration were observed followed by reduced longevity of male and female adults. Fecundity in the first filial generation was significantly changed with the lethal and sublethal concentrations of B. bassiana. Thus, it is concluded that B. bassiana has the potential to play a vital role in integrated mosquito management strategies.

Objective-To examine variants at the 9p21 locus in a case-control study of acute myocardial infarction (MI) in Pakistanis and to perform an updated meta-analysis of published studies in people of European ancestry. Methods and Results-A total of 1851 patients with first-ever confirmed MI and 1903 controls were genotyped for 89 tagging single-nucleotide polymorphisms at locus 9p21, including the lead variant (rs1333049) identified by the Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium. Minor allele frequencies and extent of linkage disequilibrium observed in Pakistanis were broadly similar to those seen in Europeans. In the Pakistani study, 6 variants were associated with MI (PϽ10 Ϫ2) in the initial sample set, and in an additional 741 cases and 674 controls in whom further genotyping was performed for these variants. For Pakistanis, the odds ratio for MI was 1.13 (95% CI, 1.05 to 1.22; Pϭ2ϫ10 Ϫ3) for each copy of the C allele at rs1333049. In comparison, a meta-analysis of studies in Europeans yielded an odds ratio of 1.31 (95% CI, 1.26 to 1.37) for the same variant (Pϭ1ϫ10 Key Words: myocardial infarction Ⅲ 9p21 Ⅲ Pakistanis Ⅲ risk factor Ⅲ South Asia Ⅲ meta-analysis V ariants at the 9p21.3 locus have been established as among the strongest common genetic factors associated with the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) in people of European continental ancestry. [1][2][3][4][5] These variants are in highlinkage disequilibrium (LD) and span a 58-kb region that has multiple neighboring genes (CDKN2A, CDNK2B, and MTAP), without annotating to any single protein sequence. 5 An RNA coding gene, ANRIL, that overlaps with the risk To our knowledge, we report the first large-scale study of variants at the 9p21 locus in relation to risk of acute myocardial infarction (MI) in Pakistanis. This study involved 1851 patients with confirmed diagnoses of first-ever MI and 1903 control subjects from the Pakistan Risk of Myocardial Infarction Study 8 (PROMIS). Genotyping was conducted on 89 tagging single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at the 9p21.3 locus, including the lead variant (rs1333049) identified by the Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium in association with CAD. 1,2 To place our findings in context, we also report a literaturebased meta-analysis of relevant studies, encompassing information on 23 variants at the 9p21 locus in up to 38 250 CAD cases and 84 820 controls. The current meta-analysis substantially updates a previous relevant review, 5 involving data from an additional 82 117 participants and 20 additional variants. Methods Study DesignThis article follows the reporting recommendations of STrengthening the REporting of Genetic Association studies. 9 PROMIS is a casecontrol study of acute first-ever MI in urban Pakistan. 8 Patients with MI experienced the following: (1) symptoms within 24 hours of hospital presentation, (2) typical ECG characteristics (eg, Ն1-mm ST elevation in any Ն2 contiguous limb leads or new-onset left bundle branch block), and (3) a positive troponin test result (Ͼ1 ng/mL). Controls were indi...

In the current study, to combat insecticide resistance, we explored larvicidal, ovicidal, synergistic, and repellent activities of Sophora alopecuroides extract and its dominant constituents against Aedes albopictus. The results of the toxicity bioassays demonstrated that the extract of S. alopecuroides exerted significant larvicidal activity (16.66-86.66%) against the third-instar larvae of Ae. albopictus at different concentrations (5-50 ug/mL) and low hatchability of eggs (2.32-75%) at 5-50 ug/mL. The constituents of S. alopecuroides showed a synergistic effect when applied as a mixture (LC 30 + LC 30 ) against larvae, while no synergistic effect was observed against the eggs of Ae. albopictus. S. alopecuroides extract provided 93.11% repellency in the first 90 min and gradually decreased to 53.14% after 240 min, while the positive control DEET (N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide) showed 94.18% in the first 90 min and 55.33% after 240 min. All of the results exhibited a concentration-dependent effect. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that a study has identified a highly effective extract of S. alopecuroides, which could be used as an alternative agent to control larvae and eggs and to repel adults of Ae. albopictus.

Background-Evidence is sparse about the genetic determinants of major lipids in Pakistanis. Methods and Results-Variants (nϭ45 000) across 2000 genes were assessed in 3200 Pakistanis and compared with 2450Germans using the same gene array and similar lipid assays. We also did a meta-analysis of selected lipid-related variants in Europeans. Pakistani genetic architecture was distinct from that of several ethnic groups represented in international reference samples. Forty-one variants at 14 loci were significantly associated with levels of HDL-C,